A Brayton cycle engine including a longitudinal wall extended along a lengthwise direction. The longitudinal wall defines a gas flowpath of the engine. An inner wall assembly is extended from the longitudinal wall into the gas flowpath. The inner wall assembly defines a detonation combustion region in the gas flowpath upstream of the inner wall assembly.

A fuel and air injection handling system for a rotating detonation engine is provided. The system includes a compressor configured to compress air received via a compressor inlet and configured to output the air that is compressed as swirling, compressed air through a compressor outlet. The system also includes an annular rotating detonation combustor fluidly coupled with the compressor outlet. The annular rotating detonation combustor has a detonation cavity that extends around an annular axis, the annular rotating detonation combustor configured to combust the compressed air from the compressor in detonations that rotate within the detonation cavity around the annular axis of the annular rotating detonation combustor. The annular rotating detonation combustor is fluidly and directly coupled with the compressor outlet.

A fuel and air injection handling system for a rotating detonation engine is provided. The system includes a compressor configured to compress air received via a compressor inlet and configured to output the air that is compressed as swirling, compressed air through a compressor outlet. The system also includes an annular rotating detonation combustor fluidly coupled with the compressor outlet. The annular rotating detonation combustor has a detonation cavity that extends around an annular axis, the annular rotating detonation combustor configured to combust the compressed air from the compressor in detonations that rotate within the detonation cavity around the annular axis of the annular rotating detonation combustor. The annular rotating detonation combustor is fluidly and directly coupled with the compressor outlet.

A Brayton cycle engine including a longitudinal wall extended along a lengthwise direction. The longitudinal wall defines a gas flowpath of the engine. An inner wall assembly is extended from the longitudinal wall into the gas flowpath. The inner wall assembly defines a detonation combustion region in the gas flowpath upstream of the inner wall assembly.

A method for operating a rotating detonation engine, having a radially outer wall extending along an axis; a radially inner wall extending along the axis, wherein the radially inner wall is positioned within the radially outer wall to define an annular detonation chamber having an inlet and an outlet, wherein the method includes flowing liquid phase fuel along at least one wall of the radially inner wall and the radially outer wall in a direction from the outlet toward the inlet to cool the at least one wall and heat the liquid fuel to provide a heated liquid fuel; flowing the heated liquid fuel to a mixer at the inlet to reduce pressure of the heated liquid fuel, flash vaporize the heated liquid fuel and mix flash vaporized fuel with oxidant to produce a vaporized fuel-oxidant mixture; and detonating the mixture in the annular detonation chamber.

Aircraft propulsion systems include a fan shaft connected to a fan, the fan shaft defining a centerline axis of the aircraft propulsion system, one or more offset cores arranged at an angle to the centerline axis, the one or more offset cores each comprising a hydrogen burning combustor, a centerline cavity defined along the centerline axis, and a heat exchanger arranged within the centerline cavity. In operation, a portion of air is directed from the fan into the centerline cavity to provide a first working fluid to the heat exchanger within the centerline cavity.

Aircraft propulsion systems include a fan shaft connected to a fan, the fan shaft defining a centerline axis of the aircraft propulsion system, one or more offset cores arranged at an angle to the centerline axis, the one or more offset cores each comprising a hydrogen burning combustor, a centerline cavity defined along the centerline axis, and a heat exchanger arranged within the centerline cavity. In operation, a portion of air is directed from the fan into the centerline cavity to provide a first working fluid to the heat exchanger within the centerline cavity.

An engine system is provided that includes a compressor section, a combustor section, a turbine section, a flowpath and a flow regulator. The combustor section includes a combustion chamber. The flowpath extends sequentially through the compressor section, the combustor section and the turbine section. The flow regulator is configured to open the flowpath between the compressor section and the combustion chamber during a first mode of operation. The flow regulator is configured to at least substantially close the flowpath between the compressor section and the combustion chamber during a second mode of operation.

An engine system is provided that includes a compressor section, a combustor section, a turbine section, a flowpath and a flow regulator. The combustor section includes a combustion chamber. The flowpath extends sequentially through the compressor section, the combustor section and the turbine section. The flow regulator is configured to open the flowpath between the compressor section and the combustion chamber during a first mode of operation. The flow regulator is configured to at least substantially close the flowpath between the compressor section and the combustion chamber during a second mode of operation.

A rotating detonation engine can include an annular combustion chamber, an adjustable exhaust nozzle, and a nozzle actuator arrangement. The annular combustion chamber can have repetitive high frequency combustion and can include an outlet. The nozzle can be coupled to that outlet to receive exhaust reactants expelled therefrom. The nozzle can include elongated fins arranged in a conical shape having inner surfaces, outer surfaces, and distal ends. The fins can include outer and inner sets of fins, can contract toward a closed position, and can expand toward an open position. Distal ends of the fins can define a nozzle outlet having variable diameters. The nozzle actuator arrangement can have fin adjusters that adjust the fins between the closed and open positions when power is applied to a power transmitter coupled to the fin adjusters during engine operations.